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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. snap — to click
  6. present — there
  7. spell — letters
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. capital — a city
  11. plane — a tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. toast — bread
  20. spell — magic
  21. present — a gift
  22. spell — a short time
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com